Basic Shapes and Patterns of Fingerprints

Patterns and Shapes:

Loop=Shape= 60-70% of prints encountered. They have one or more "ridges" entering on either side of the print and comes out on the same side. One "core" and one "delta" is what makes this shape a loop. The patterns below contain loops!

Radial Loops=Pattern= This pattern along with another pattern called the Ulnar Loop is different only because of which hand the print lies on. (Ulnar Loops will be described later or below) If you observe your right hand, the pattern areas on ur fingers come in and go out towards your thumb. The radial bone happens to be on the thumb side thus giving us the name "Radial Loop". Radial Loops are not too common and if found, will be on the index fingers.

Ulnar Loops=Pattern= An Ulnar Loop is distinct from a Radial Loop also becasue of which hand it lies on. When a pattern goes in from the left and comes out from the left,referring to your left hand, it points towards your pinky finger. It also points to the ulnar bone in your arm thus giving it the name "Ulnar Loop".


Whorls=Shape= Only 25 to 30 percent of fingerprint patterns contain whorl shapes so they arent known as well as the common loop. Ridges take a turn through at least one "circuit" in this shape and will contain at least 2 deltas making it an automatic whorl shape.


NOTE: (assumption)
no delta: arch
1 delta: loop
2 or more: whorl


Plain Whorls=Pattern= This pattern has to contain one or more ridges which make or try to make a complete circuit with two deltas. The tricky part is drawing an imaginary line and one recurving ridge with in the inner parts is cut. The inner area of the pattern (to make this clear) tends to form a circle which is called the "inner pattern area" which is what makes the whorl. The imaginary line comes when you cut between the two deltas which intersects the line forming the circle.


Central Pocket Whorls= Pattern= contain at least one recurcing ridge with two deltas but when that imaginary line is drawn, no recurving ridge is cut. The actual lines forming the circle are very close to the center in which there aren't many. the imaginary line between the two deltas is what makes it a Central Pocket Whorl.


Double Loop Whorls= Pattern= This pattern contains two seperate loops with two seperate shoulders and of course two deltas. To be straight forward, for each "core", there must be two seperate shoulders.

Arches= Shapes=Arches are only found in 5% of fingerprint patterns making it even more rare than whorls! The ridges run from one side of the pattern to the other with no "backward turn". There usually isn't a delta, but if one is found, no ridge can cut between the core and delta points.

Plain Arch=Patern= These patterns have no delta or significant core and because there isn't a delta, it has to be a arch. The pattern area flows through the print with out interruption which makes it "plain".

Tented Arch=Pattern= Tented arche's dont flow as smooth as the plain arch, and does have significant change through out. There happens to be an "upthrust" in the middle of the print. Sometimes people tend to think there is a delta in the print but for it to be a delta, there has to be a significant recurving line which there isn't.


Composites: This appears when more than one pattern shows up in one fingerprint.

Citation:

"Fingerprint patterns." Unofficial NSW Police Site: The Thin Blue Line - Australia. Web. 27 Aug. 2009. .